Physics Graduate Brochure - Physics - North Carolina State University

Jacqueline Krim
Prof. Krim heads the Nanoscale Tribology Laboratory
located in Partners III on Centennial Campus. Her
research interests include solid-film growth processes
and topologies at submicron length scales, liquid-film
wetting phenomena, and nanotribology (the study of
friction, wear, and lubrication at nanometer length and
time scales). Research in Prof. Krim’s laboratory
spans a variety of investigations including quartz
crystal microbalance studies of atomic scale friction;
multifunctional extreme environment surfaces;
hydrodynamic lubrication in fiber processing; and
nanotribology for air and space. The Krim group is a
major participant in the National Science
Foundation’s Center for Radio Frequency
Microelectromechanical Systems Reliability and
Design Fundamentals. (jackie_krim@ncsu.edu)
Gerald Lucovsky
Prof. Lucovsky’s research activities are in the
deposition of thin film electronic materials using
remote plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition.
Materials being studied include silicon oxide, silicon
nitride, and silicon oxynitride; amorphous,
microcrystalline, and crystalline silicon and silicon
alloys; and crystalline gallium nitride and gallium
phosphide. A second area of research deals with
studies of the properties of thermally grown silicon
dioxide and comparisons with plasma deposited
oxides. These programs couple basic studies of
materials synthesis and characterization with device
applications. (lucovsky@ncsu.edu)
Michael Paesler
Prof. Paesler investigates semiconductors using
extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS).
Current research focuses on a family of phase change
memory (PCM) materials that exhibit dramatic
material property changes when switched between
their amorphous and crystalline states. While these
materials hold considerable promise in a variety of
applications, the fundamental changes involved with
the amorphous-crystalline transition are not well
understood. The Paesler group studies PCM samples
using EXAFS at national synchrotron facilities such as
the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven
National Laboratory and the Advanced Photon Source
at Argonne National Laboratory. Recent studies
examine local bonding environments in a variety of
compositions of samples in the ternary germaniumantimony-tellurium
system. (paesler@ncsu.edu)
J. E. (Jack) Rowe
Prof. Rowe’s group uses measurements that include
scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), atomic force
microscopy (AFM), low energy electron diffraction
(LEED), and soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy
(SXPS) including results with synchrotron radiation
(SR-SXPS) and with spin detection. A major goal of
this research program is to study the initial surface and
buried-interface processes of electronic materials at
the nanoscale. The synchrotron photoemission-based
methods can measure threshold energy barriers and
core levels due to 2D interface bonding which are
sometimes spatially resolved. (rowe@ncsu.edu)
Further Information
Prospective students can contact any faculty member directly (see email addresses above) or the Graduate Program
office at py-grad-program@ncsu.edu.
.NC STATE Physics.
www.physics.ncsu.edu